Which generation has the best quality of life, according to Mumsnet and Gransnet users?

Generation game: Do Baby Boomers have it easy? Are Gen X 'getting away with it'? Which generation has it toughest of all? Mumsnet's new report with Ipsos MORI gives a fascinating snapshot of how British women feel their own generation is faring compared to others.

A report released today by Mumsnet and Ipsos MORI reveals that, while the
media and the public identify Baby Boomers (50-69-year-olds) as the most
fortunate generation, Generation Xers (36-49-year-olds) also feel lucky to have been able to enjoy many of the same
benefits (free university education; a slice of property market profits) while avoiding the resentment sometimes aimed at Boomers. They do, however, feel
they've been hit hard by thepressures of the modern world, and are worrying about their
children's futures.

Based on detailed analysis of the input from Mumsnet and Gransnet users, as
well as nationwide polling data, 'The Blame Game?' outlines what
British women think about intergenerational disparities, strife and solidarity -
and highlights some new perspectives. Read the report, and tell us what you think.

Key findings include:

Female Baby Boomers, Generation
Xers and Generation Yers (aged 15-35) alike emphasise the progress in
women's equality over the
last 40 years. Generations X and Y cite it as a reason to be grateful for
being born when they were, and Baby Boomers refer to it as one way in which
younger women are more fortunate than they are. Maternity benefits, better
reproductive healthcare, improved childcare options and greater career
opportunities for women were mentioned repeatedly by respondents of all
ages.

Housing wealth comes through as the
strongest bone of intergenerational contention, with some members of
Generation Y questioning the unwillingness of Baby Boomers to sell family
homes to pay for care in later life, while Baby Boomers emphasise their years
of scrimping and saving to cope with mortgage interest rates in double
figures. However, overall there is a clear recognition from all the
participants in the focus groups that this is a key issue for the future, and
a shared worry for the youngest generations - whether they are the
grandchildren or children of Baby Boomers or Generation X or whether they are
Generation Y experiencing the sharp end themselves.

Younger women (Generation Y) are
most likely to express concern about the influence of internet-enabled
technologies and social media pressures on the wellbeing of teens and
children.

The new polling data shows that
Baby Boomers are seen as the generation who have had the best quality of
life, by 39% of Britons, while both the Pre-war Generation and Generation Y
are viewed as likely to experience the worst quality of life (by 29% and 27%
respectively). The Pre-war generation themselves though are more
content with their lot -
half of those aged 70+ think they have had the best quality of life, while
they are most worried about the very youngest Generation Z (those not yet
15).

Similarly, the Pre-war Generation
and Generation Y are seen as the main beneficiaries of government help (picked by 27%
and 30% respectively), while Generation X is the lowest priority (including
among Gen Xers themselves).

Overall though, it is clear that all the
generations are much more likely to worry about each other rather than put
their own interests first. Baby Boomers and Generation X think
those both older and younger than them should be top priorities for
government help, those aged over 70 are most concerned about those aged 15 to
35, and although Generation Y are the one group who put themselves as
top priority, they are nearly as concerned about the Pre-war Generation and
those even younger than them
- Generation Z.

There is a similar consensus across
the generations in the focus groups that the Pre-war Generation deserves all
the government spending it gets after long lives of contribution and (often)
hardship; there's also
widespread consensus that Generation Z - those under 15 - face a tough
future.

Recent government decisions come under intense scrutiny, with many focus
group participants questioning the provision of universal benefits for
pensioners in a context of deep cuts in welfare payments for young families and
working-age people. Many expressed anger at short-termist political decisions
on issues such as housing stock and energy supply; across the age groups,
respondents were more likely to turn their ire on politicians than they were on
members of other generations.

Mumsnet's Justine Roberts said:
"Intergenerational inequality is
one of the most compelling political problems of our time. Mumsnet and Gransnet
users express a wide range of views, but one
thing's for sure: very few
of them think that governments over several decades have made the right calls
overall. There's a real
hunger for constructive, transparent and even-handed political engagement with
these issues, from tuition fees and housing availability to the provision of
compassionate care in later life."